Morris deal agreed

[NeathJack]

https://twitter.com/USMNT/status/1351986464893054977

 

[Ringwood Jack]

In response to the no doubt aptly named "Itchysphincter", I think both Morris and Swansea are trying to mitigate their risk with a loan deal. I think the best teams in the Championship ARE a step up, especially in terms of the kinds of defenders Morris will encounter. I think most Americans know that. I also think that MLS attacking talent--at least the top end guys--are probably better than what you see in the Championship most days--it's the salary structure of the league that allows teams to spend really big on only three players--it's how we get guys like Vela, Geovinco, Ibrahimovic, Pavon, and a steady stream of Argentinians and Uruguayans to come. They rack up big numbers because teams don't spend on defenders. It's a really imbalanced league in this respect....

As for this tasty line from itchy butt..."he’ll go home and just be another American that can’t cut in a big boy league." It's so outdated that I had to laugh. Americans are now playing regularly at Barca, Dortmund, Leipzig, Wolfsburg, Juventus, and Lille, not to mention at Chelsea and Fulham. A bunch more are playing in Holland, Belgium, and Portugal. Most of the fans in this forum seem like cool folks , and I hope Swansea earns promotion and stays up awhile this time. But let's not get carried away when we rate the Championship. It's a good, very competitive league, and it's overall slightly better than MLS. But European teams are finally starting to realize that American players (and MLS players) can play at the top level, and that they don't have to pay them as much as they would have to pay a Brazilian or Argentinian with the same skill level. Swansea's smart to look for targets there...because everyone else in Europe is going to be doing it sooner or later....

"and i hope Swansea earns promotion can stays up awhile this time" :lol: :lol: ... Think he mistaking us for someone else :lol: :lol:

 

[Itchysphincter]

In response to the no doubt aptly named "Itchysphincter", I think both Morris and Swansea are trying to mitigate their risk with a loan deal. I think the best teams in the Championship ARE a step up, especially in terms of the kinds of defenders Morris will encounter. I think most Americans know that. I also think that MLS attacking talent--at least the top end guys--are probably better than what you see in the Championship most days--it's the salary structure of the league that allows teams to spend really big on only three players--it's how we get guys like Vela, Geovinco, Ibrahimovic, Pavon, and a steady stream of Argentinians and Uruguayans to come. They rack up big numbers because teams don't spend on defenders. It's a really imbalanced league in this respect....

As for this tasty line from itchy butt..."he’ll go home and just be another American that can’t cut in a big boy league." It's so outdated that I had to laugh. Americans are now playing regularly at Barca, Dortmund, Leipzig, Wolfsburg, Juventus, and Lille, not to mention at Chelsea and Fulham. A bunch more are playing in Holland, Belgium, and Portugal. Most of the fans in this forum seem like cool folks , and I hope Swansea earns promotion and stays up awhile this time. But let's not get carried away when we rate the Championship. It's a good, very competitive league, and it's overall slightly better than MLS. But European teams are finally starting to realize that American players (and MLS players) can play at the top level, and that they don't have to pay them as much as they would have to pay a Brazilian or Argentinian with the same skill level. Swansea's smart to look for targets there...because everyone else in Europe is going to be doing it sooner or later....

Didn’t mean to ruffle any feathers, it’s just the championship is a better standard than the MLS and the megastars that go there from Europe are usually being put out to pasture. Everyone is so touchy these days. :lol:

 

[jack123]

In response to the no doubt aptly named "Itchysphincter", I think both Morris and Swansea are trying to mitigate their risk with a loan deal. I think the best teams in the Championship ARE a step up, especially in terms of the kinds of defenders Morris will encounter. I think most Americans know that. I also think that MLS attacking talent--at least the top end guys--are probably better than what you see in the Championship most days--it's the salary structure of the league that allows teams to spend really big on only three players--it's how we get guys like Vela, Geovinco, Ibrahimovic, Pavon, and a steady stream of Argentinians and Uruguayans to come. They rack up big numbers because teams don't spend on defenders. It's a really imbalanced league in this respect....

As for this tasty line from itchy butt..."he’ll go home and just be another American that can’t cut in a big boy league." It's so outdated that I had to laugh. Americans are now playing regularly at Barca, Dortmund, Leipzig, Wolfsburg, Juventus, and Lille, not to mention at Chelsea and Fulham. A bunch more are playing in Holland, Belgium, and Portugal. Most of the fans in this forum seem like cool folks , and I hope Swansea earns promotion and stays up awhile this time. But let's not get carried away when we rate the Championship. It's a good, very competitive league, and it's overall slightly better than MLS. But European teams are finally starting to realize that American players (and MLS players) can play at the top level, and that they don't have to pay them as much as they would have to pay a Brazilian or Argentinian with the same skill level. Swansea's smart to look for targets there...because everyone else in Europe is going to be doing it sooner or later....

Good post, I'm excited to see the Morris fella in action now.

 

[airedale]

I’m waiting for the pic with the shirt. Makes it official then.

 

[thefranchise]

I’m waiting for the pic with the shirt. Makes it official then.

or the stupid video.

 

[Swansea93]

Thought he'd be announced by now, maybe at 6

 

[swansnews]

https://twitter.com/swansnews/status/1352676993364594688

 

[jacktar]

I’m waiting for the pic with the shirt. Makes it official then.

There you go then:

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/swansea-city-seal-loan-move-jordan-morris

 

[Swanseaborn]

https://twitter.com/michelleludtka/status/1352724997450547200?s=21

Interesting spin off in this story, another one of the 27 revealed. He would’ve been interested in last Saturdays game, part owns Barnsley too

 

[swansnews]

https://twitter.com/michelleludtka/status/1352724997450547200?s=21

Interesting spin off in this story, another one of the 27 revealed. He would’ve been interested in last Saturdays game, part owns Barnsley too

Thats an interesting find and a good spot.

Source: Seattle Sounders Official Site
August 21 2019

In a significant club announcement on Wednesday morning, Seattle Sounders FC unveiled sports business leader and former financial executive Peter Tomozawa as the club’s President of Business Operations. Alongside wife Donna LeDuc, Tomozawa is also joining Seattle’s Ownership Group, making the pair the 12th family to become part of the Rave Green’s newest group of partners, following last week’s announcement that saw the Ownership team expand significantly. Combining nearly 30 years of expertise in the financial and public sectors, along with several leadership roles in sports business, Tomozawa brings a wealth of experience to Sounders FC.

With this news, Tomozawa assumes oversight of all departments within Sounders FC’s business operations team at Pioneer Square, mirroring the club’s structure on the soccer side of the organization under General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. Both Tomozawa and Lagerwey report into Sounders FC Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer.

Most recently serving as Vice President & Executive Director for Partnerships and Board Relations for Los Angeles’ successful bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, Tomozawa is no stranger to the sports and entertainment worlds. In addition to being a minority owner in the Vegas Golden Knights – the National Hockey League’s successful franchise that launched in 2017 – Tomozawa also maintains ownership stakes in two historic clubs in the English Football League Championship: Swansea City and Barnsley. Additionally, Tomozawa previously served as a partner and Global Head of Foreign Exchange Sales at Goldman Sachs, where he worked for 17 years, before transitioning into civic affairs for the state of Hawaii. In the latter role, Tomozawa served as Executive Director of Business Development & Advisor to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, in addition to working as Vice Chair & Commissioner of Charter Schools for the State of Hawaii Department of Education.

“Following last week’s historic news, we are very excited to officially reveal Peter and Donna’s involvement in our new Ownership Group. Like our other partners, they care deeply about Seattle and bring a vast array of experience that our club will benefit from,” said Sounders FC Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer. “As part of the process surrounding the formation of our new Ownership Group, we thoughtfully considered who would be the right person to take our club forward into this pivotal new era of Sounders history. In working alongside Peter, it became immediately clear that we already had that person working on our behalf. Peter’s high level of integrity, people-first approach and vast experience across multiple industries immediately make our club stronger from a leadership perspective. He has already gotten to know our Pioneer Square staff over the past several weeks, and his diverse background in finance, government affairs and sports business is a welcome asset to the organization. In the days and weeks ahead, I am excited for him to get to know the broader Sounders family in our community.”

“I have long been an admirer of this proud organization that boasts the most passionate fans in Major League Soccer and a playing culture that is truly inspiring,” said Tomozawa. “What I love about this team is its never-say-die attitude. It’s a philosophy that starts with Adrian Hanauer, and has been upheld by Garth Lagerwey, Brian Schmetzer and our players each and every week. That energy and grit is what drew me to this organization in the first place, and now joining the club in my new role, I am so honored to become a steward of that culture. On behalf of all our new partners, it is a privilege to be a part of this Sounders family, and I look forward to helping grow the club that we are all so passionate about.”

In Tomozawa’s new role as President of Business Operations, he is set to oversee all of Sounders FC’s business departments, inclusive of administration, legal, finance, business operations, marketing, communications, broadcast, community outreach, fan experience, membership engagement and customer service, ticket sales and operations, premium sales, hospitality and corporate partnerships. He is supported by the club’s existing senior leadership team.

Tomozawa brings a rich and diverse background to Sounders FC, with a wealth of experience gleaned from years in technology, finance, government affairs and sports. With a B.A. from the University of Michigan and M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Tomozawa began his career in the technology sector before joining Goldman Sachs in 1993. He spent 17 years at Goldman, eventually serving as Global Head of Foreign Exchange Sales, where he managed the distribution of foreign exchange products and was responsible for the product management and distribution of the firm’s foreign exchange electronic trading platform. In this role, he served Goldman in various locations around the globe, living in New York City, Tokyo and London. Additionally, Tomozawa was a member of the Federal Reserve Bank Foreign Exchange Committee as well as a board member of CLSAS, a foreign exchange trade aggregation service company. To this day, he continues to consult for the International Monetary Fund.

In a significant club announcement on Wednesday morning, Seattle Sounders FC unveiled sports business leader and former financial executive Peter Tomozawa as the club’s President of Business Operations. Alongside wife Donna LeDuc, Tomozawa is also joining Seattle’s Ownership Group, making the pair the 12th family to become part of the Rave Green’s newest group of partners, following last week’s announcement that saw the Ownership team expand significantly. Combining nearly 30 years of expertise in the financial and public sectors, along with several leadership roles in sports business, Tomozawa brings a wealth of experience to Sounders FC.

With this news, Tomozawa assumes oversight of all departments within Sounders FC’s business operations team at Pioneer Square, mirroring the club’s structure on the soccer side of the organization under General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey. Both Tomozawa and Lagerwey report into Sounders FC Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer.

Most recently serving as Vice President & Executive Director for Partnerships and Board Relations for Los Angeles’ successful bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, Tomozawa is no stranger to the sports and entertainment worlds. In addition to being a minority owner in the Vegas Golden Knights – the National Hockey League’s successful franchise that launched in 2017 – Tomozawa also maintains ownership stakes in two historic clubs in the English Football League Championship: Swansea City and Barnsley. Additionally, Tomozawa previously served as a partner and Global Head of Foreign Exchange Sales at Goldman Sachs, where he worked for 17 years, before transitioning into civic affairs for the state of Hawaii. In the latter role, Tomozawa served as Executive Director of Business Development & Advisor to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, in addition to working as Vice Chair & Commissioner of Charter Schools for the State of Hawaii Department of Education.



“Following last week’s historic news, we are very excited to officially reveal Peter and Donna’s involvement in our new Ownership Group. Like our other partners, they care deeply about Seattle and bring a vast array of experience that our club will benefit from,” said Sounders FC Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer. “As part of the process surrounding the formation of our new Ownership Group, we thoughtfully considered who would be the right person to take our club forward into this pivotal new era of Sounders history. In working alongside Peter, it became immediately clear that we already had that person working on our behalf. Peter’s high level of integrity, people-first approach and vast experience across multiple industries immediately make our club stronger from a leadership perspective. He has already gotten to know our Pioneer Square staff over the past several weeks, and his diverse background in finance, government affairs and sports business is a welcome asset to the organization. In the days and weeks ahead, I am excited for him to get to know the broader Sounders family in our community.”

“I have long been an admirer of this proud organization that boasts the most passionate fans in Major League Soccer and a playing culture that is truly inspiring,” said Tomozawa. “What I love about this team is its never-say-die attitude. It’s a philosophy that starts with Adrian Hanauer, and has been upheld by Garth Lagerwey, Brian Schmetzer and our players each and every week. That energy and grit is what drew me to this organization in the first place, and now joining the club in my new role, I am so honored to become a steward of that culture. On behalf of all our new partners, it is a privilege to be a part of this Sounders family, and I look forward to helping grow the club that we are all so passionate about.”

In Tomozawa’s new role as President of Business Operations, he is set to oversee all of Sounders FC’s business departments, inclusive of administration, legal, finance, business operations, marketing, communications, broadcast, community outreach, fan experience, membership engagement and customer service, ticket sales and operations, premium sales, hospitality and corporate partnerships. He is supported by the club’s existing senior leadership team.

Tomozawa brings a rich and diverse background to Sounders FC, with a wealth of experience gleaned from years in technology, finance, government affairs and sports. With a B.A. from the University of Michigan and M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Tomozawa began his career in the technology sector before joining Goldman Sachs in 1993. He spent 17 years at Goldman, eventually serving as Global Head of Foreign Exchange Sales, where he managed the distribution of foreign exchange products and was responsible for the product management and distribution of the firm’s foreign exchange electronic trading platform. In this role, he served Goldman in various locations around the globe, living in New York City, Tokyo and London. Additionally, Tomozawa was a member of the Federal Reserve Bank Foreign Exchange Committee as well as a board member of CLSAS, a foreign exchange trade aggregation service company. To this day, he continues to consult for the International Monetary Fund.



Following his retirement from Goldman Sachs, Tomozawa turned his skills toward other passions, utilizing his knowledge of financial markets and investment strategy to serve the state of Hawaii as its Department of Education Charter School Commissioner while also advising the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu as Executive Director of Business Development. In that role, Tomozawa led negotiations of a financing agreement for a $6 billion rail project, selected vendors for the city’s short-term borrowing and helped administer its Park Improvement Plan.

In 2016, Tomozawa was selected by the LA 2024 / LA 2028 Exploratory Committee – bidding to bring the Olympic Games to Los Angeles – as Vice President & Executive Director of Partnerships and Board Relations, where he managed relationships with institutional partners and board members as the bid committee put forth its low-risk, high-tech and sustainable Games plan. The work of Tomozawa and his colleagues came to fruition, as Los Angeles was selected to host the 2028 Olympic Games

In a major club announcement on August 13, Seattle Sounders FC opened a new era in its storied 45-year history, as the organization unveiled 11 new families that are joining the club’s Ownership Group. Representing a diverse array of backgrounds and experiences, all 11 families have direct ties to Seattle, bringing a wealth of expertise to the Rave Green in sports, entertainment, technology, broadcast, finance and many other fields. Tomozawa and LeDuc are the 12th family to join this new group, alongside existing Sounders FC Owners Adrian Hanauer, Drew Carey, Jody Allen, Paul Barry and Lenore Hanauer. As part of last week’s news, founding partner Joe Roth announced his departure from the club. A leader behind Seattle’s successful 2007 MLS expansion bid and the team’s 2009 launch that saw Seattle set a new standard for soccer support in North America, Roth was instrumental with his ambition and vision, helping to lay the foundation of a club that has won more matches than any other team in MLS over the past 10 seasons.

 

[swansnews]

Seattle's own Jordan Morris embarks on the next chapter of his soccer journey

Source: Seattle Sounders Official Site

Videro interview with Seattle Sounders FC GM and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upANxZMkn7Y

It’s official: Sounders FC Homegrown winger Jordan Morris is headed out on loan to EFL Championship side Swansea City.

Morris’ move to Swansea – a six-month loan through the end of the Championship campaign – is merely the logical next step for the hometown kid who’s blossomed into a star for club and country.

“We’re super excited about it,” Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey told media on Friday afternoon. “It’s very much what Jordan wants. I think it’s the culmination and fulfillment of a dream. We’re going to be rooting for him…. We can’t wait to watch him play there.”

Born and raised on Mercer Island, Morris was touted as one of the brightest prospects for the United States Men’s National Team program before he’d played a single minute of professional soccer. It therefore came as a bit of a shock in 2016 when Morris turned down a contract from Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.

Instead, Seattle soccer’s prodigal son decided to sign his with his hometown club.

It’s official: Sounders FC Homegrown winger Jordan Morris is headed out on loan to EFL Championship side Swansea City.

Morris’ move to Swansea – a six-month loan through the end of the Championship campaign – is merely the logical next step for the hometown kid who’s blossomed into a star for club and country.

“We’re super excited about it,” Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey told media on Friday afternoon. “It’s very much what Jordan wants. I think it’s the culmination and fulfillment of a dream. We’re going to be rooting for him…. We can’t wait to watch him play there.”

Born and raised on Mercer Island, Morris was touted as one of the brightest prospects for the United States Men’s National Team program before he’d played a single minute of professional soccer. It therefore came as a bit of a shock in 2016 when Morris turned down a contract from Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.

Instead, Seattle soccer’s prodigal son decided to sign his with his hometown club.

Morris’ decision to begin his career with Seattle led to a host of individual accolades, including 2016 Rookie of the Year, 2019 Comeback Player of the Year, 2020 MLS Best XI and a finalist for the 2020 Landon Donovan MVP award. For the club, it translated into four appearances in MLS Cup in five seasons and two championships, not to mention countless unforgettable memories of Morris blowing past defenders and scoring iconic goals.

“We were always going to support [Morris],” said Lagerwey. “Part of the reason he came to us instead of Werder Bremen in 2016 was the promise that this would be a relationship. This would be something where he worked for our best interests and we worked for his. There really wasn’t any hesitation on our part when he said this was something he wanted to do.”

Morris’ personal and professional development in Seattle has validated the decision he made to begin his career with his boyhood club so many years ago.

Added Lagerwey: “If you’ve been one of the league MVP finalists, and you’ve won Rookie of the Year, and you’ve won a couple of titles and been to four finals in five years: what mountains are left to conquer? It’ll be interesting to see what the next step is for Jordan. But I think that kid can accomplish anything he wants to.”

Morris’ success in the Pacific Northwest has afforded him the freedom to carve out his own unique pathway, with Lagerwey noting that over half dozen clubs across three countries in Europe made serious inquiries for his services.

By joining Swansea City on a loan, Morris has an opportunity to test himself in Europe for a club with a rich history and realistic ambitions of returning the Premier League. The Championship is a league that suits Morris’ electric playing style, and the Swans utilize a system capable of harnessing his robust skillset.

“This isn’t a cake walk by any means,” said Lagerwey. “That said, do I think Jordan is going to succeed? Yes, I think he’s going to knock it out of the park. He’s ready for this.”

The move to Swansea also gives Morris plenty of options at the end of his loan. He could stay with Swansea, whether in the Championship or Premier League, test himself elsewhere in Europe or return home once again and suit up for the Sounders.

As he’s done throughout his career, Morris has taken his time to make a decision that suits his own ambitions on his own timeline. With the support of Sounders FC behind him, he embarks on his next chapter.

Time will tell what comes next for the kid from Mercer Island who grew up dreaming of playing for a club he would one day lead to two MLS Cup titles. No matter what happens, Morris will always be a Sounder.

https://twitter.com/JmoSmooth13/status/1352718969048887296

 

[Swansea93]

Seems very happy he's come here, lets hope he's successful for us.

 

[CurtessECarr]

Will he be the first American to play for the Swans? Scratching my head to think of another no doubt an obvious one will come to someone's mind.

 

[jackjackjackjack]

The Americans on r/soccer seem to rate him. And being from Seattle he'll be used to the rain.